The latest development to be built by Clinton Devon Estates to provide vital employment space for growing businesses in Exmouth, has been officially opened by Lord Clinton.
The new complex consists of five purpose-built commercial units at the Liverton Business Park, on the edge of the town. Three have already been let to local businesses, with a prospective tenant on standby to take the fourth.
The 7,500 sq ft ‘Harpford Phase 2’ development aims to help local businesses base themselves in the town, while providing dedicated space for them to grow. The work marks the latest stage in the park’s expansion after six units were opened on the site in 2017.
Exmouth brothers Oliver and Charlie Roberts are among the new tenants. They jumped at the chance to move into their new unit after finding it nearly impossible to secure anywhere locally that suited their needs.
Having grown up in the local area, they have gone on to become national specialists in anti-slip flooring with Safety Direct Group, offering their expertise to factories, the leisure sector, hospitals, public transport facilities, and government bodies. Theirs is a new business based on 20 years of experience in health and safety and their national clients include Premier Inns, Travel Lodge and Jaguar Land Rover.
Charlie said: “It’s a large unit here and we can have everything in one place. At the moment we’re scattered about everywhere. There wasn’t anywhere else when we were looking, to bring our premises together, and now I’ll be able to walk here from home in a few minutes.”
For young pharmacist Ronak Maroo, taking on the tenancy at one of the Harpford units will enable him to provide vital back up to his Exmouth-based dispensary, Clarepharm. With a team of 12 people, he needed extra space for storage and preparation to serve the customer-facing operations in town.
Ronak said: “We were struggling quite a bit to find somewhere until we saw this opportunity from Clinton Devon Estates. Hopefully in time we’ll be running private clinics, like a travel clinic for vaccinations. It was hard to find the right amount of space.
“We need somewhere we can go two or three times a day to serve the pharmacy. So this is ideal.”
Leigh Rix, Head of Property and Land at Clinton Devon Estates, said: “Harpford Phase 2 is the latest stage in our creation and development of business units designed to provide flexible accommodation for a range of commercial uses in East Devon.
“We are very pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to tenants who are looking for larger premises in the Exmouth area. At a time when many businesses may be cutting back on the size of commercial space they can take on, it is reassuring to see local firms actively looking to expand.
“This investment is part of the Estate’s commitment to supporting local businesses and the East Devon economy now and in the future.”
Exmouth’s Liverton Business Park is already home to a wide range of local, regional and national businesses and is helping to sustain hundreds of jobs and make a major contribution to the economy of the area.
Anyone wanting to enquire about the final unit available at Harpford Phase 2, can contact Andrew Hosking at Stratton Creber Commercial at [email protected] or visit www.strattoncrebercommercial.co.uk.